In 1978, ‘Wuthering Heights’ launched Kate Bush to stardom. A broken wrist was to thank for its unique sound

Kate Bush’s 1978 debut single ‘Wuthering Heights’ became a defining hit, and its distinctive guitar sound was shaped in part by an unexpected injury. Pilot guitarist Ian Bairnson recorded the track with his wrist in a cast after breaking it in a trail-bike accident, adapting his playing in a way the article says helped give the song its delicate, recognisable character.

Bairnson had already established himself with Pilot, whose hits included ‘Magic’ and ‘January’. The article says Bush wrote the song in one evening and recorded it in a single take; she had not read Emily Brontë’s novel before writing it. The track has since passed 300 million streams, and its story is presented as an example of how unforeseen constraints can shape a work of art.